Home owners slugged by council rules

BUILDING your own home in Noosa will become a costly affair under new planning scheme provisions which will add at least $5000 to the basic cost of a new house.

Local builders and designers say the new scheme requirements for a suburban home control everything from the colour of houses to their size and shape. The mandatory gas, solar or heat pump hot water system and the required 3000litre rainwater tank would add at least $5000 to the construction bill.

For home owners Grant and Nicola Pawson, its a daunting prospect.

The couple have recently finished renovations and said it was difficult enough under current planning requirements, let alone the new ones.

Housing Industry Association president Steve Morcombe said 90% of the houses built today would not comply and would have to undergo a town planning impact assessment a further cost of $350. It was impossible to estimate the real cost of new requirements but it would "kill the project housing industry.

"Basically you would find yourself in deep trouble early, trying to get a normal house on a normal block, he said.

Independent Private Certifiers Association of Queensland president John Hill said the plan was so ridiculously prescriptive it decided the type of material you had to build your house from.

"You cant build a house of brick or concrete render in Kin Kin village or Boreen Point, he said.

"And I dont know how you are going to make a driveway drain into landscape areas most simply join the garage with the street so water naturally runs down into the gutter.

But Noosa Shire Council envir- onment and planning development chairman, Russell Green, said the changes were not new and had been called for by the community.

"The reason the changes were brought about is to encourage more sensible design outcomes on the land, he said.

"There are some within the community whos buildings are just mere representations of their egos and cheque books.

Mr Green said the plan was developed through two-and-a-half years of public consultation.